Sabalenka resists Kostyuk and earns her ticket to the quarter-finals in Rome
Two weeks after a thrilling duel in Madrid, Aryna Sabalenka and Marta Kostyuk faced each other on Monday in the round of 16 in Rome.
The matchup promised excitement and it did not disappoint. The first set quickly fell into Sabalenka's hands, as she took the lead 6-1 after a double break. It was in the second set that the match truly began, with both players offering a real thriller to the spectators of the Roman central court.
At 3-3, Kostyuk fought for survival in a service game lasting about fifteen minutes. Afterward, she managed to achieve her first break of the match on her twelfth opportunity. But when it came time to serve for the set, she was punished by an impressive return game from Sabalenka.
A finalist in Rome last year, the world No. 1 had the chance to close out the match at 6-5, after winning three games in a row. However, the tenacious Kostyuk pushed it to a tie-break with a superb backhand winner.
The tie-break was epic, with each rally more spectacular than the last. Ultimately, in this little game, it was Sabalenka who came out on top, managing to finish the match on her third match point with a beautiful winning drop shot.
Thus, for the second time in less than two weeks, the Belarusian succeeded in overcoming Kostyuk, who may regret not taking the lead when she had the chance. Sabalenka, now qualified for the quarter-finals, will face Qinwen Zheng.
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